Spiritual Disciplines - The Beauty of Simplicity

Joe Kennedy invited me to join a group of bloggers and write about the spiritual disciplines. I told him that I would not be able to write on all of them, but I would pick out a few. Tuesday was the day that I was supposed to write on simplicity for our little collective, but I was too busy and my life was too complex. So, I thought that I'd wait until Wednesday, which is a much simpler day for me. As I was thinking about this topic, I thought that this would also make a great subject for my monthly article in our church's newsletter, so to simplify, I am using it there as well. A message of simplicity in life is needed for all of us at all times, it seems .

In thinking about the word "simplicity," I think about what it is by first thinking about what it is not. I find that modern life is really fast paced. Does anyone else agree? The world is full of complexity. We are bombarded with a gazillion images and advertisements a day. We are constantly preyed upon for our money, our energy, our time, and our devotion. We have hectic schedules, non-stop demands, and responsibilities that won't quit. Many of our marriages are filled with relational landmines instead of being safe places to grow, change, and enjoy life. We feel like we are never enough for the challenges that face us each day. So, we try a little harder, pull the mask down tighter, and hope that no one sees the real us, warts and all.

Is that an accurate picture of modern life? For many of us, it is. Unfortunately, we look to complex solutions to fix our complex problems. We follow steps, plans, and procedures, all designed to make us happier, wealthier, and more advanced. We grab hold of everything we can to ease the pain of living in a world where we get disappointed, hurt, and where we fail. We forget that we have a Savior. Jesus is here to save us from our sins and the power of this world every day. Do we look to Him for more than a ticket to heaven?

I love to counsel people when they are having struggles. I have been through a lot of struggles myself and have faced many painful days. When I counsel people, I listen to what they are saying and pray. I then begin to show them how they can trust Christ in their situation. I begin to tell them what it would look like to fix their eyes upon Jesus and let go of anything else that they are holding onto. He is the Resurrection and the Life. All of the other things that we hold onto do not help us. They are only dumb idols. I am always amazed at how few people accept that type of counsel when they are struggling. I find that people often want something more than Jesus. They want to know what they can do. They want to ease their pain and find a way out of their problem. They rationalize. They want to blame someone else and they want that person to make them feel better. Undeniably, we look to the things of this world to fill a void within us that only God can fill. We often use religion to fill that void, but it does not work. Only Jesus satisfies.

I cannot explain how to live a simple life through clearing your schedule. Unless I replace my busyness with Christ, I will fill my schedule with something else. I can only say that the secret to contentment and peace in this life is found in devotion to the Author of Life and the Savior of Our Souls. "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3.  Why would we look anywhere else?

Comments

[Keith Lucas]

Thank you for this post. Too often we strive so hard to achieve and to accomplish without focusing on the very thing our heart is yearning for, a true relationship with Christ Jesus, our Savior. Simply said, yet hard to do. I really appreciate your heart and your focus. My prayer is I will take it to heart and lean on Him. Be blessed.

[Cyle]

We're always told to add something to our lives to find peace; add a vaction, add a hobby. I'm just trying to learn how to abide. I know the absolute necessity of prayer, trusting prayer, casting prayer (as in casting my cares upon Him), and I wondered when I would find the time to pray like I need to in order to make it. Then I realized that if I am breathing I can be praying.

[Dorcas Hawker]

I especially appreciated the part about we must replace the busyness with Jesus. This is why it is so hard for me to slow down, I don't want to become lazy and self-centered. I am afraid if I clear my schedule then people will think I'm not doing enough to serve God. Yet God is revealing to me the beauty of meditation, rest and simplicity in just pausing to focus on Him. It isn't a waste of time.

[ramzesramz]

Somehow time I climbed on is not present and, asking questions, found interesting and not so interesting answers. One of which was - « FailureAccident on the Chernobyl atomic power station, 4 power unit ». I became interesting and thumbing through sites was simply horrified. One I the fellow worker, in the past the meter man, has told about the friend which was the liquidator of consequences of this failureaccident, the truth or not I do not know. But spoke that - « firemen which extinguished a fire there, by turns washed in a showersoul groups, and muzhiks because of an irradiation were shone in darkness, but to live ithim remains few hours ».

[ramzesramz]

Somehow time I climbed on is not present and, asking questions, found interesting and not so interesting answers. One of which was - « FailureAccident on the Chernobyl atomic power station, 4 power unit ». I became interesting and thumbing through sites was simply horrified. One I the fellow worker, in the past the meter man, has told about the friend which was the liquidator of consequences of this failureaccident, the truth or not I do not know. But spoke that - « firemen which extinguished a fire there, by turns washed in a showersoul groups, and muzhiks because of an irradiation were shone in darkness, but to live ithim remains few hours ».

[antingSeeno]

Eh.. I hope you like my sincere number Do you want a joke? :) Why do gorillas have big nostrils? Because they have big fingers.